Page 36 of Demon
“What are you talking about?”Ronnie asked.
“I need to be here.I need to make sure you’re safe.If that means coming back to Tucson, I will.”
“How much time do you have?”Demon asked.
“At least a couple of months.I’ll have to check to be sure.”
“I have a couple of questions, if you two don’t mind?”
Gavin didn’t say anything, just looked at her.Ronnie turned to Demon.
“That depends on the questions.I won’t know until you ask them.”
Demon watched her for a long moment.Before he had a chance to ask anything Opie hopped onto the far end of the couch and made his way over Demon’s lap to hers.
“Hey, baby.What have you been up to?”She scratched him under the chin.“Did you need to say hi to everyone?”
He wove his way around her hand for a moment then went back the way he came, over Demon’s lap, pausing for a moment to sniff at his vest for a moment then he went back to the other end of the sofa.
Ronnie watched as he went up onto the arm of the couch and made the hop from the sofa to the arm of the recliner.He curled around Gavin for a moment then curled up in his lap and went to sleep.
“Why does Opie love you more than me?”she asked.
“Opie?”Demon asked.
“Yeah, she named the cat after her favorite TV character.”Gavin shook his head as he ran one hand from the top of the cat’s head, down his back and along his tail, only to start again.
Ronnie held her breath, waiting to see what Demon said.He looked at her and lifted his brow.After a moment, he looked over at Gavin, shook his head and took a deep breath.
“Back on topic.”He turned to look at Ronnie again.“You couldn’t wait to get out of your dad’s house, why do you work for him?”
“I’ve been asking her that for years,” Gavin said.
“I don’t know.”She looked away, not wanting to see the judgement in Demon’s eyes.“I think it started as a way to get his approval.If I worked hard enough, if I contributed enough, he would see that I’m not just the worthless female he told me I was for so many years.”
“Jesus, Rica.I didn’t know he was saying those things to you.”
“He never said them when anyone was around, not where anyone could hear him.Anyway.I wanted his approval.After a while, I became determined to prove to him I could take over the business.No matter what he threw at me, I took it, and I handled it.”She shrugged and focused on the clock on the far wall.The three yellow, capsule shaped characters looking terrified never failed to make her smile.
This time even she could tell the smile was thin.
"Guess I failed."She looked at her brother, refusing to acknowledge the tears pooling in her eyes.
"What do you want now?Do you still want to take over the business or give it up?”
“Maybe the industry entirely, and do something else?"Demon asked.
She turned and focused on him for a moment before she answered.
"I don't know.I never thought about doing anything else.Well not since junior high when I wanted to be a writer.”She let one side of her mouth tip up."I don't think anyone, except maybe a teacher has asked me what I want since I was a kid.Does it make me sound stupid to say I don't know what I want?"
"No.I don't think so, it’s not stupid not to know what you want to do.Especially if no one ever asked you or if you've never thought much about it," Demon said.The hand on her knee squeezing again."Think about it.You’re young, you can do anything you want."He turned to face Gavin."As for making sure she's safe, I'll help.I've also got a plan to put an end to this for good, but you'll have to trust me."Demon watched Ronnie's brother waiting for his reaction.
Gavin was silent for a moment, then scraped his bottom teeth across his upper lip."I asked my boss if he knew any thing about Moore when I called earlier."He scrubbed one hand over his face.“He had nothing but good to say about him.Then I talked to Moore.Told him what you said too.He said if you gave me that info, then I can trust you.He said you're on the right side even if it doesn't look like it.”
He let his gaze skim down Demon and backup."I don't like Rica getting mixed up with a wannabe biker."
Demon tensed.She felt it everywhere he touched her, from the leg pressed along the length of hers to the hand that sat on her knee.She reached over and covered his hand with hers.
